Cast: Tõnu Kark, Lembit Ulfsak, Tiit Sukk, Ülle Kaljuste.
"The Sunshine Boys" represent the classics of modern comedy.
"The Sunshine Boys" had its premiere in 1972 on Broadway, then became a film and was directed numerous times all over the world. It has also acquired a place in Estonian theatre: duets in the leading roles of "The Sunshine Boys" by Jüri Järvet and Eino Baskin (1981), later also by Aarne Üksküla and Eino Baskin (1998) are one of the most valued in the history of Estonian comedy theatre.
Starting point is easy: paths of two once brilliant comedians had parted in anger years ago. They had worked together for 40 years, making the audience laugh with countless sketches but now they do not even want to hear each other's names, let alone meet or - heaven forbid! - work together again. As passionately as they once cooperated they now fight - and with such bull-headed men Willie's nephew has to now deal with! Willie wants to bring the legendary pair of comedians together again to play a single sketch because the TV show about the history of comedy would be not complete without them.
If said that the story is about old men and quirks coinciding with old age it might not sound too attractive for the audiences. But the virtuosity of Neil Simon lies in the way he manages to entwine hilarious dialogue with more melancholy tunes. Under the sparkling surface the sadness ripples and that must be the thing that makes tough characters so charming and ensures the play's topicality.